Rescue cats for adoption and rehoming in and around Manchester

Manchester's cat rescues range from sanctuaries you can visit to small foster networks. Close to the city, Society for Abandoned Animals is in Stretford, Stopford Cat Rescue rehomes only in Stockport, Bramhall and South Manchester, Heatons Cats is in Stockport, and StraySafe Rescue has fosterers across Greater Manchester. Animals in Distress has its sanctuary at Irlam.

Further out, Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary at Ramsbottom, Warrington Animal Welfare, Destitute Animals Shelter in Bolton and Pennine Pen Animal Rescue in Oldham keep cats at their own sites. Our Manchester cat rescues guide compares every one we list, with its area, process and fee.

Many Manchester cat rescues won't rehome a cat that will go outside on or near a main road, and some won't rehome near one at all, even an indoor cat (each rescue's rule). Check the rule before you apply.

• Main roads. Saving Strays Animal Rescue won't rehome to families on main roads "even if it is an indoor cat", and Independent Cat Rescue Prestwich won't rehome near a busy or main road. Heatons Cats wants homes at least 100m from a main road, railway or open water, and Cheshire Cats Rescue at least 100 metres from busy roads and railways.
• Young children. Warrington Animal Welfare, Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary and Heatons Cats don't rehome to families with children under 5, and English Barn Cats Rescue rehomes to households with children 6 and over.
• A dog at home. Heatons Cats doesn't rehome to households with dogs, and English Barn Cats Rescue only places a cat with a dog if the cat is used to dogs.
• Home checks. English Barn Cats Rescue visits in person, Avid's Angels Cat Rescue checks virtually, and Society for Abandoned Animals uses a home visit or a video call.

Manchester cat rescues that publish a fee ask from £80 at Windyway Animal Rescue to £150 at Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary, StraySafe Rescue and Avid's Angels Cat Rescue. In between, Society for Abandoned Animals asks £100 for a cat and £120 for a kitten, and Warrington Animal Welfare £110 for an adult and £120 for a kitten.

Cats Protection's North Manchester Cat Centre, which handles its Manchester branch's enquiries, charges £85 for an adult cat and £105 for a kitten up to 6 months. Independent Cat Rescue Prestwich sets its fee per cat, so ask it.

Each rescue sets its own adoption fee. Cats Protection says you can expect to pay £80 to £120 on average for an adult cat and £100 to £120 for a kitten, varying between its branches, and Blue Cross fees start from £150 for cats aged 4 months to 7 years. The fee usually covers neutering, microchipping and first vaccinations, and each rescue confirms its own fee.

These charities rehome cats around Manchester (our guide to them). We don't list their cats, so search their own sites.

• Cats Protection's Manchester branch takes enquiries through its North Manchester Cat Centre in Oldham, open by appointment only; Trafford, Stockport and Bolton & Radcliffe have their own branches.
• Blue Cross rehomes cats from its Greater Manchester rehoming, advice and behaviour unit in Radcliffe.
• The RSPCA's Manchester and Salford Branch rehomes cats and small animals from its centre in Salford.

Take it to a vet or a cat rescue, who can scan it for a microchip. The council stray service is set up for dogs: the law behind it, section 149 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, is headed "Seizure of stray dogs". The RSPCA says it can't respond to calls about healthy stray cats, and in England a pet cat must now be microchipped, so a scan is the quickest way to find its owner.

Looking for a kitten? Our rescue kittens guide for Manchester covers which rescues have kittens and their rules on pairs, and the kittens page lists every kitten near Manchester today. There are pages too for older cats, indoor cats and bonded pairs.

Need to rehome your own cat instead? Our Manchester rehoming page covers the Cats Protection branch for your postcode and StraySafe Rescue's waiting-list form.